5 Reasons to Start Writing in a Gratitude Journal Today!

Have you ever gotten a knot in the pit of your stomach when you watch something great happen to someone else?

You know, that sickish feeling inside like all is not fair in the world.

It’s not something you intentionally do or even want to happen. Because, after all, you are a good, kind person, not a jealous or mean person.

You want to feel happy for the person who just received some great thing or achieved some amazing goal. But if you are being totally honest, that doesn’t always happen, and sometimes you actually feel outright upset or angry. Especially when it seems unfair, like that person doesn’t even deserve this great thing.

It can be frustrating to stand by and watch it happen. But it can be even more frustrating to deal with your own emotions.

You know in your head that you have a lot to be thankful for, so what’s the deal? What can you do to change the way you feel?

That’s a great question, friend, and you are in the right place to start changing that blah feeling insideinto something much better.

When you develop a genuine grateful perspective you begin to see all that is right in your life, instead of things that aren’t quite right or seem flat out wrong. Your eyes will be opened to the good happening to you, all your blessings, even in the midst of difficult or frustrating situations. And in turn, you will look at other people’s situations differently too.

But just like everything else worthwhile in life, it takes some effort to get there, especially if being grateful is not your typical way of thinking (or at least not all the time). However, once a habit of gratitude is established the amount of effort you have to put forth will be much less, because at that point being grateful is just part of who you are.

1.) It’s an easy way to start a new habit of gratitude.

Writing in a gratitude journal is a great way to start the habit of focusing on gratitude.

Plus it’s simple, cheap and enjoyable.

To get started simply go to the store and pick out a journal. Or pop on over to Amazon and order one. Or just print the free one your receive after you sign up for my email list.

Once you begin to look, you will see that there are many options of gratitude journals available and most of them are less than twenty bucks. That’s a pretty minimal investment in something that can be completely life changing.

Whichever gratitude journal you choose, you are making a great choice as you are now on your way to experiencing the sweetness of a grateful life.

2.) It gives you the opportunity to stop and reflect.

When you write in a gratitude journal every day you are essentially forcing yourself to stop and reflect on your blessings.

Would it be just as effective for you to, at some point in the day, stop what you are doing, step away from the kids, go into the bathroom and think about all the things you are thankful for? Sure, that is certainly possible. {And I’ve done it before}. But is it as nice of an environment as sitting outside or in a room full of sunshine, coffee in hand and writing in a pretty journal with sparkly pens? Definitely not. And will you remember to do that every day? I’m not so sure about that.

Once you are in the habit of writing in a gratitude journal it will be something you do every day. And that means a designated time to reflect on your blessings every single day. And that process of reflection is the part that can be life changing.

3.) It’s a simple tool that allows you to be a good example to your children.

When your kids see you writing in your journal their curiosity will be piqued. They will watch you developing this habit and wonder what it’s all about.

Hopefully they’ll start to see the benefits of that habit coming out as well. Maybe they’ll start to see you responding differently to situations or hearing loving words about others instead of criticism or gossip.

And if you want your kids to get in the habit of writing in a gratitude journal themselves then you’ll definitely want to make sure they “catch you” writing sometimes. It’s going to be a whole lot easier if they see you model the behavior first. And if you make it look fun then that’s even better.

For my girls it’s the bright gel pens that appeal to them. They see those beauties and want to get their sweet little hands on them. Situations like this are a perfect time to talk about a gratitude journal and get them set up with one.

4.) It gives you something you can go back and look through.

Since a gratitude journal is a tangible thing, it provides you with the opportunity to go back and read your own words, thoughts, ideas and expressions. It can be a keepsake or something that simply reminds you of the journey that you’ve been on. From where you were to how far you’ve come.

Sometimes when I go back and read things I am surprised by what I wrote. Had I not documented it, I probably would not have remembered the events or blessings that I appreciated at that time. It’s enjoyable to look back and it’s also helpful so that I can look back and be thankful for how far I’ve come on my gratitude journey.

You’ll have the same opportunity to reflect on what you wrote when you begin daily journal writing.

5.) It gives you a good reason to sit and drink your coffee (tea/latte/green smoothie) for 5 minutes out of your day.

Those 5 minutes are lovely, I tell you. Especially when the rest of the day is crazy. I cherish those moments of silence and reflection.

I truly believe that you will also cherish that part of your day. You’ll look forward to grabbing your favorite drink, sitting in peace (hopefully) and reflecting on the many blessings in your life.

Want to get started (or restarted) writing in a gratitude journal? When you sign up to be on my email list, in addition to receiving tools and resources for developing a habit of gratitude in your inbox on a regular basis, you will also receive two free 31-day printable gratitude journals (one for you and one for your children).